1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric connector that conductively connects a flat conductor to a printed board.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electric connector such as a flexible printed circuit (FPC) or a flexible flat cable (FFC) that conductively connects a flat conductor and a printed board to each other is typically used. As such an electric connector, an electric connector is known that includes a plurality of terminals that have connection portions that come in contact with a flat conductor and that press the flat conductor against the terminals by pivoting an actuator (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-158279, for example).
The above electric connector includes front terminals that are positioned on the flat conductor insertion opening side with respect to the shaft portion of the actuator and rear terminals that are positioned on the rear side of the flat conductor with respect to the shaft portion of the actuator. Moreover, rear contact portions that are provided in the rear terminals are disposed above (on a pressing surface side of the actuator) front contact portions provided in the front terminals and the front contact portions and the rear contact portions are provided at positions facing the pressing surface of the actuator when the flat conductor is in a fitted state. In the above case, the pressing surface of the actuator is fixed so as to be inclined in the closing direction of the actuator along an inclination connecting the rear contact portions and the front contact portions. With the above configuration, the actuator is not easily pivoted in the opening direction and the flat conductor and the electric connector connected together are not easily released from each other.
However, in the electric connector described above in which the rear terminals are positioned on the rear side with respect to the shaft portion and in which the rear terminals are disposed at a position facing the pressing surface of the actuator, upon inclination of the pressing surface of the actuator in the closing direction, the flat conductor becomes inclined in the closing direction of the actuator in a similar manner. Furthermore, the rear terminals apply a force to the actuator in the closing direction such that the inclination in the closing direction of the actuator is strongly maintained. Accordingly, there are cases in which a portion of the flat conductor that is exposed to the outside of the electric connector comes in contact with the printed board causing unintended conductive connection, and thus disadvantageously requiring additional insulation measures to be implemented.